Liquid rheostat



1948' J. K. OSTRANDER 2,447,087

F1ed June 27, 1946 2 SheetsSheet 1 ATTORNEY Patenfed Aug. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES ATENT oFFICE LI UID BHEoSTA1' Joh11 1. Stfander, hndo1phi, 1 ar.

AppHotion Jnne 27, 196, Sefia1 No. 629,621

12 c1ainlS. 1

ThiS invention felateS to liquid rheoStatS and the pfincipal objeot of the invention is to pfo vide new and ifnpfoved rheostats of thiS type.

fnother object i the provision of a laTge range of TesiStanoe in a. liquid rheoStatvvhen, for eXanlple, the liquid fheoStat oonstitnteS a S1ip Tegulator, to oontro1 the ourTent in the Secondary of a polyphase fnotor, the large resistance range pTovides 91arger Inotor Speed Tange. f 11ore spe cific obieot is to pfovide a 1iquid rheoStajt in which the movement of the electrodes for obtain ing the deSired resiStance range iS elatively Sman.

Another object iS to provide a liquid rheoStat in which the change in resiStance for a given movement of the electrodeS S not Inatefiany dif fe1'ent for different poSitions of the eleotrodes.

Another object iS to pTovide a liquid fheoStat in vhich there is afnple space between the eleotrodeS at an positionS, and the direotion of f1ovv of electrolyte does not change vvhen the e1eotTo lyte passeS betveen the electfodes.

Another objeot is to provide a oonStfuction in vvhich a II1arxiInI1II1 anoount of the eleotrolyte in the rheoStat iS in the eleotrio oirouit for 311 poSitionS of the electfodes, So that the neceSSary quantity of electrolyte is Teduced and arS a re sl1lt the apparatuS Inay be sfn aller.

1n prior ty eS of 1iquid TheoStatS of the vari able liq11id leve1 type, oloSe pro}iII1ity of eleotlode portions extendin into the liquid froIn above the leve1 thefeof Inay cat1Se boiling, flfTning, and the Hke, Which may reSult in aroing and short oiTouits- It is an objeot of the invention to provide a liquid rheostat in vhioh thiS ob feotion iS avoided.

n1ore speoio object is to provide a liq11id TheoStat in which one eleotrode iS a1Ways be1ow the liq11id leveL and Inore speoincally, in Which botf1 the liquid leve1 nfay be vafied and the diS tance betvveen the electrodes varied.

other objectS Wi11 appear as the de5CTiption of the invention pfooeeds.

T11e novel features of the invention and how the objectS are attained vvill appeaI' fron1 this specification and the acconlpanying drawingS ShoWing one embodiment of the invention and forIning 9 part of thiS a )p1ioation, and a11 theSe nove1 featureS are intended to be pointed ollt in the o1aiInS.

n the dfawings, 1 ,ig. 1 is a front elevation of apparatus ooInpriSing a liquid rheostat en1body ing the invention, eSpeoiany adapted for uSe aS a Shp regulator;

2 ,ig. 2 iS 3 Side elevation of the appTaus Shown in 'ig. 1

fg. 3 iS a. seotion, taken on the 1ine III1I of 1 ig. 5, looking in the difeotion of the affovvS, of an elen1ent of the Hquid rheoStat Shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

'ig. is a front e1evation of the rheostat ele 1nent Shovvn in ig, 3, the front plate of the re ceptao1e fof the liquid being fen1oved; and

ig. 5 is a plan vfevv of the heoStat eleTnent Shovvn in Fig- 3, the top of the recepfacle being reTnoved.

1 fefeffing first to 1 igs. 1 and 2 the liqLlid rheo- Stat there Shovn, eInbodied aS a Slip regulatof, includeS three elenlents B, C each of which oon1priSeS oell of' feoeptacle for oontaining electrolyte constituting 1iquid TesiStance n1ateria1 betvZeen the electfode n1eanS oontained in the receptacleS as vvi11 appeaf. The reoeptaoleS In aresuppofted in any Suitab1e vvay, aS on a fran1e Work eanS iS fovided Whereby the liquid for the fhooStat iS ciroulated, being disohaTged ffom the receptaole ln, oooled, and retuTned to the I'e ceptacles. ach receptaole lu fS provided vvith a dfScharge pipe l2 conneoted at the top to the fe ceptao1e 111, aS vvi11 Inofe ft111y appear, and coT1- nected at the bottoIn to a liquid feServoir 13.

Liquid is dischafged f'oIn the TeSefvoif !3 through a pipe connection to a heat exchanger 5 vVhich nay be of any Suitable fofIn, for oooling the liquid, oonnections s, are for adn1itting and diScharging oooling ffuid foI the heat exchanger 5. jquid iS diScharged fToIn the heat exchanger |5 through a pipe IB connected to the in1et of a puInp l9 dTiven by an electrio II1otof 2- The pump l9 disohafgeS Hquid through a pipe 21 to a header 22. If desired, a valved bypaSS 89, for bypaSSing the punlp le, Inay be pTovided. To the headef 22 al^e connected liquid Supply pipeS 23, one fof each receptacle n, aS Wi11 fnore fully appear.

Each receptacle f containS felatively station ary electTode IneanS 2 and Telatively Inovable electfode nleanS 25. The electrode n1eans 25 iS oarried 1)y a veir 26 in tuJ'n carried by a rod 22. The rodS 21 are carried by aw horizonta1 bar 28 and are e1ectriCa1ly conneCted. The bar 25 Inay be raised and 1owefed by opeTatfon of an electfio Inotor 29 vvhfch dfives a horizontal Shaft 3n oa Tying vvorn1s 3l oooperating vvifh vVorn1 geafs re spectively Inounted on vertica1 ShaftS 32. fot9 tion of ShaftS 32 CauseS thTeads thereon coop eTating With nuts 33 on the bar 28 to TaiSe of loWer the bar.

compriSing= a olufality of SepaaLte receptacles fo1 conaining liquid., one Iecephalole for each phase of the polyphase oirouit; a pluTality of relatively stationaJy electrode !neanS, in Said reoeptaoles Tespectively, oonStruoted and arranged for connection to the respective phaSes of Said polyphaSe circui; a p.lurality of relatively Inov able electrode IneanS in Said Teceptacles oooper able With said relatively stationary electrode IneanS reSpeotively; nleans for varying the total area of ilT1Inersion of the eleotrode IIleans in each 1 eoeptac1e; and IneanS electricall connectiog Said p111Ka1i-y o relatively n10vable eleotrode IneanS.

JOHN 0STBNDB.

BEFEBENcES oITED The fonOWing referenceS are of record in he 1le of thiS patent= tTNTD STATBS PATENTS `I1nber Name Date 1,253 235 Ia1l Jan. 15, 1918 1,34:0,241 Nicht ay 18 1920 L33 66 Petty oct. 31, 1922 1,590,509 Iibbard June 29 1926 

